3 Ways to Check if Spring Bulbs are Alive BEFORE You Plant Them – DIY Garden Minute

3 Ways to Check if Spring Bulbs are Alive Before You Plant Them

Before you start planting any bulbs, you should know how to check if those bulbs will be viable and will actually grow to give you that beautiful flower you truly want.

You have the expectation: “You plant a bulb – You want to see a flower.” We get it and we feel the same way. We don’t want to spend time planting these bulbs if they aren’t going to give us that flower-BANG. 

So, here are 3 ways you can check each bulb to know if it’s going to grow this year:

1. Hold and inspect each bulb looking for any ooziness or shiny-wet surfaces or if there is any discoloration. If you see any surface looking like this, your bulb is diseased and you should throw it out so it doesn’t spread whatever it has to other nearby bulbs.
2. Hold the bulb between you thumb and your index finger so you can gently squeeze the bulb in different locations on its surface. If your bulb is solid and doesn’t feel squishy, then plant that bulb. If that bulb is squishy and doesn’t feel solid or feels hollow, then that bulb needs to be thrown out.
3. Also, lastly, look to see if your bulb has any actively growing stems or roots. If you see actively growing areas of the bulb, go ahead and plant it.

And that’s how you check a bulb’s viability!

Head over to our YouTube channel to see us plant handfuls of gladiolus bulbs in a large container OR watch it below.

Happy bulb planting!

If you are looking for more bulbs, click through on this link to see what you can add to your garden! AND, Make sure to use our 15% off coupon code “SPOKENGARDEN” at checkout!